Gawain: Hisstory
by embassyofshadows
Summary: The story of Griel Gawain the father of Ike and Mist and the founder of The Griel Mercenaries. It starts with him as a boy and goes all the way to his tragic death. Rated T for mild swearing, fight scenes and just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

_I won't bore you all with details. The characters you are familiar with belong to Nintendo and the ones you aren't familiar with belong to me. So no confusion arises I am using Griel as his first name and Gawain as his last name. Finally if anybody can confirm that Ike's mother is named Elena that would be very helpful._

Chapter 1: Beginnings of a Warrior

The sun's rays barely had yet to fully pierce the night sky. This signaled the start of another day in the Gawain barn. The cows, having just woken up, were hungry and calling for their master to feed them. The calling of the cows awoke the sheep and the screaming of the sheep woke up the chickens. The sun was barely up, yet Griel was nowhere to be seen.

"Griel get up and help your father milk the cows!" yelled the lady of the house.

"Go easy on him, yesterday was a tough day" said Griel's father.

While this scene was playing out a boy of eleven was stretching his lengthy arms out across his bed. He had dirty brown hair that went down to his shoulder. This boy's name was Griel Gawain. He was five foot two, which was tall for his age. From his work on the farm he had grown muscular, more muscular than most boys of the village. He opened one eye a sliver and saw the sun's rays through his window. He bolted up so fast at this sight that his back cracked in three different places. His covers already on the floor he ran to the basin to wash his face. The water, being cooled by the night air, was refreshing and awoke him instantly. He was still sore from the events of the day before but he knew he had to get to the cows soon or he would have nothing to eat. He stretched his arms out again and felt a satisfying crack.

On his wall there was an axe hanging sideways. It was a beautiful axe, made by his grandfather many years ago. It was really a simple golden axe but his grandfather spent ten years on it and it was the finest axe. The craftsmanship of the axe was never before seen and never will be seen again. The axe was a good deal longer than even Griel was. To Griel this axe held his grandfather's spirit. The axe was called Urvan and it was passed down from his grandfather to Griel. Griel wished that his dad was the owner because Griel still couldn't lift it and his dad didn't dare touch it as if not to upset his father's spirit.

"Don't worry Grandfather. I'll use it one day. You won't be sorry for giving this to me. I promise you this. I miss you very much, but sadly I don't think I will see you for a long time. And when I do see you I hope it's after a hard battle where I slayed hundreds of men for Crimea. Then the one that would kill me would be killed by my family, my son if I ever have one. So grandpa I won't see you for a while" Griel tossed on a shirt and pants and sprinted down to the kitchen.

"Sorry I over-"started Griel.

"Your father just left for the cows, go help him" his mother interjected.

"Yes ma'am. I am already gone." Griel said already at the door. He walked down toward the cow pen lost in thought. What had happened the day before never happened before. It was a shock even for his father. What would make the-

"Are you gonna stand there day dreaming or are you gonna milk some cows?" his father asked bring him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry father, I'll get right on it." Griel answered.

"Don't push your self too hard. You had a rough day yesterday. Those sheep are something eh? I mean what would make them scream so loud? They wouldn't even eat their food. Those fat lazy asses eat all the time anytime. Something must have scared them." Griel's father stated.

"Do you think it's those bandits that everyone in town is clamoring about? Maybe they came and took one. Maybe they scared the sheep or something like that." Griel said suddenly scared. An unfamiliar scent of sweat and blood came to him but it was faint so faint that he thought he must have imagined it.

"Those bandits wouldn't come here. For one thing the patrol in town would stop them and for another I could easily fend them off. I do have your grandfather's skill. You know this right?" his father asked.

"He might but we don't. Why don't you prove this to us old man?" a menacing voice said challenged from behind. Out of nowhere three big men came into the cow pen. They all were wielding axes and had torn shirts on. Their bulging muscles were covered in dried blood and sweat. On their right shoulders they all had a tattoo of a sub-human hawk. A cold fear crept down Griel's spine. He now knew what he had smelt only a moment before.

"Griel go run and get me my blade. Don't ask any questions just do it. Now!" hissed his father to Griel

"But father…" Griel started

"I said now!" his father hissed again Griel scrambled away and heard the bandits laughing. His blood boiled and he ran toward his house faster and faster. He burst inside and saw his mother setting up breakfast.

"What happen-"she started asking. Griel ran past her talking as he ran

"Bandits. Need dad's blade. Don't follow" he ordered. The blade was lying near his father's bed. It was a nice sword made of steel perfect for fighting against many fighters. It weighed a little in Griel's strong arms. He broke himself out of these thoughts by remembering his father alone against the bandits.

Griel flew down to the cow pen in record time. As he neared the cow pen he slowed down breathing heavily. His father came into his view. He was attempting to dodge all the blows of the bandits but couldn't dodge them all. Running up to his father he unsheathed the sword and managed to ward off a blow from the bandit. As he was about to hand the sword to his father a bandit rushed at them. Griel tried to fend him off but the bandit was too strong. Their blades collided and sparks flew out. Griel could feel the sword slipping out of his hand. The sword flew towards his father and Griel could do nothing about it. There was a crack of a rib and a gasp came from his father. The bandit pulled the sword out of his father and kicked him down to the ground laughing. Griel tried to catch him but he was too heavy. They both fell to the ground. Griel was now covered in his father's blood.

"Griel. Run you can't face them all on your own. Take your mother and run. One day you can avenge me but now you must run and live. Protect your mother and run. Protect your moth…" Those were the last words Griel Gawain's father said to him. Hot tears streamed down his face.

"No father I cannot run. I will fight them and I will kill them. I will protect mother, but first I will avenge you. I promise you this." Griel said through his tears.

"Griel where are you?" asked a female voice from the other side of the cow pen

"How nice we get to wipe out the whole family now" the leader bandit said

"NO! DON'T HURT HER!"


	2. Chapter 2: His First Battle

_Thanks for all the reviews; they were helpful. Don't have much more to say except that I don't own any characters from Fire Emblem; Nintendo does. And finally I have never done a fight scene before so bear with me if it sucks or is too much. Well enjoy_

Chapter 2: His First Battle

The sun rose over the hills and pushed back the night. For Greil, this didn't matter; all that mattered was protecting his mother and avenging his father. After hearing him shout, the bandits doubled over in laughter.

"What…hahaaha…are…hahaha… you gonna do about it? Huh? You gonna fight us…hahahah. I wanna see you try…hahahahah!" said a bandit who Greil supposed was the leader.

" 'Ey, boys this guy here thinks he can defeat the three of us…bwhahaha" laughed the bandit who kicked down Greil's father. Greil's blood was boiling the anger and hate he felt was unimaginable. He was hyperventilating. Cold sweat poured down his back and neck profusely. But, he didn't have that tingle of fear in his spine. He had no fear in him at all. He was ready to fight and die to protect his mother and to avenge his father.

Greil reached for and picked up the sword that was now covered in his father's blood. He heard the bandits talking to his mother, hitting on her, asking for her to show them something nice. His grip on his father's sword tightened to a point where he could feel it being implanted into his hand. The bandits were still laughing and seemed to have completely forgotten about him.

"Die, you son of a bitch" Greil hissed as he jumped at the one who kicked his father to the ground. Greil plunged the sword into the unsuspecting man's back and felt it slide through to his chest. Greil pulled out his sword and caught his victim's sword before it hit the ground. The other two where closing in on his mother. He threw the sword he caught from the bandit and it hit the bandit whose first blow he parried. He then noticed that there was no blood. To his utter shock he realized that the sword hit him in the head with the hilt and not the blade. It must have spun around while flying. The bandit went limp and fell to the ground but Greil had to make sure he was dead. Now the leader noticed something was amiss. He turned around to see Greil slicing the head off of his partner while the other was lying dead in a pool of blood.

"So you aren't just some worthless farm boy." The leader said. "You know how to fight in stealth. I would ask you to join us but I doubt your pretty little mommy would allow, am I right?"

"Leave her out of this. I'm the one with the weapon." Greil hissed again

"–Sigh- Orders, Orders. You must learn to respect you elders or they might decide to hurt you." He unsheathed his blade "This is gonna be fun!"

He lunged at Greil, raising his sword preparing to attack. Greil, knowing he was outclassed, scrambled over the dead man's body barely avoiding the blow. He felt the wind cut at his feet. The leader twirled around and brought the sword down upon Greil.

Greil's sword hand flew up on its own parrying the blow. All this time Greil's mother was watching in horror realizing that she might lose her son as well as her husband. A clang of blades brought her back to reality and she realized Greil was keeping up with the pack leader. The loudness of the clanging startled the animals that started screaming and shouting (as much as animals could).

Greil's battle had just started and he was already panting and his muscles were sore. His opponent hadn't even broken a sweat yet. His breathing was normal and it seemed as he was getting faster and faster as the battle dragged on. Greil knew he had to end it quickly or he would end them both quickly. The bandit leader charged at Greil waking Greil from his thoughts. Out of weariness Greil's vision started to blur. He tried to side-step the onslaught and almost succeeded. His left arm was left in the path and the bandit and he slashed it open. The wound was deep and ran across the whole of Greil's left arm. Greil cringed and managed to stifle a howl of pain but he still fell on the ground bleeding from his already numb left arm. The pain was so intense that all other feeling had left him.

"And so ends the story of a poor farm boy and his family. How touching" the bandit hissed. He walked up to Greil sword held high ready to strike. "Any last words, you filthy bastard. You know you put up a good fight. Better than you father did at least. I was surprised that you even survived this long. Now DIE!" He brought the sword down toward Greil.

"NO!!! YOU MONSTER! LEAVE HIM ALONE! HE"S ONLY A LITTLE BOY!"

Greil's mother shouted, but it was too late the bandit wouldn't stop. The sword was reaching Greil and his mother was already in tears shouting as loud as she could. In a flash, so fast that she didn't even she it happening, Greil lifted his sword and stabbed the bandit in the hip. The bandit stopped his attack and looking at his hip. He let out a wail so loud that Greil's eardrums popped.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! TAKE THIS!" shouted the dying bandit with his last strength. He brought the sword down again but in his haziness he missed Greil's chest and stabbed him in his already wounded left arm. Holding the sword in place he died slumping slowly toward the floor Greil's sword sticking out of his hip. Wincing Greil pulled the sword out of his arm. The only reason he wasn't wailing was because he didn't want to scare his mother. Pulling the sword out was slow and agonizing, but he finally managed to do it. He pushed him self up with his right arm and walked over to his mother. She was still crying but she seemed to be trying to get ahold of herself. She started muttering.

"No… this cant happen now…hic… not now. Of all times not now. I cant do it alone! Oh why goddess did you turn your back on me and my…" Greil couldn't catch the rest

"Mother it will be alright. I'll look after you and the farm just like father asked me too. I won't let anything happen to you or the farm. Don't worry" Greil said trying to comfort her

"How can I calm down? And there is a lot to worry about. For one thing you are injured. For another these bandits might have friends who might pay us a visit. And finally I can't raise two children on my own." She said

"Two? But it's only me. There is no one else." Greil rebutted

"Soon there will be… If there is a soon. Greil, honey, you have to understand. I am pregnant" his mother told him.


	3. Chapter 3: Alone

_Wow I am really sorry for the long time it took to write a chapter. I would give excuses but nobody cares or really needs to know. Just to get it out that no updates happening over thanksgiving break. about the overly intenst battle scene, it wont happen again because well… one overly intense and two it shows what it looked like to Greil to kill his first living thing and to see blood split because of him. If it was too much for people I am sorry and won't be as intense in the future. I promise. Enjoy._

Chapter 3: Alone

The news of this pregnancy stunned Greil to his very core. He couldn't believe it. It seemed as if everything was being done to make sure that he doesn't achieve a peaceful life. His father died, his mother is pregnant, and he had a wound in his left arm that was still bleeding. His mother seemed to have momentarily forgotten of his injury. She was crying and Greil tried to comfort her. He started stretching out his left arm seeing as his mother was to his left and winced remembering the wound. She heard him hiss and remembered the wound he suffered.

"Greil, why didn't you say anything, you could die from lose of blood. I couldn't bear it if I lost you. You are all I have left." His mother said still crying

"It's oka…" he stopped short. He suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous. He could barely stand and felt his energy quickly disappearing. His knees started trembling and he slinked down to the floor. His mother cried out and ran into the house. Greil's head was still spinning so he had no idea of what was going on. His mother ran back in caring something in her arms.

"This is my heal staff. I may not be the best healer in the world but I can't do anymore harm." She walked over to him placed the staff over his arm and concentrated all her might into it. For a few horrible nerve-wracking seconds the staff remained as it was. Suddenly a dim light came from it growing stronger and stronger. As the light grew stronger Greil's wound began to heal ever so slightly. The wound closed up and the staff dimmed extraordinarily. Greil was still dizzy but not as much. The bleeding had stopped and some of his nauseous left with it. Relief swept over Greil as the wound was being healed when suddenly the staff dimmed completely and the pain restarted. It was all Greil could do to not yelp out because of the pain.

Greil's mother was swaying tried from her endeavor. He pushed himself up with his right arm, and caught her just as she was about to fall. He lifted with strength he never knew he had and walked toward his home. Inside he lay her on her bed and turned to leave.

"Wait don't leave yet. It's still early. Please Greil. Ride out to town and start trying to sell the farm. We can't stay here long. Using the money the farm collects we shall buy a house in the village. After I regain my strength I will clean up after your father and after the bandits. Take a horse and ride down there. Look for a cleric to finish up your wound as well." She said drifting off to sleep

"Yes mother I will leave. But first I must bury father. I am sorry for disobeying your orders but I must do this. I can not live with myself if I do not." Greil muttered to himself. He trudged out to the barn collected a shovel and started digging a hole.

For the next two hours Greil worked on the hole. At first the pain in his left arm was unbearable, but as time went by it numbed in pain and didn't feel it. His need to bury his father drowned out the pain. As time passed he received blisters on his hands and his muscles ached, but he didn't stop. Finally he finished the hole. He ran to his room and found his blanket. He ran back to his father and wrapped him in the blanket.

"You made me this blanket. It has kept me warm and safe for my whole life. Now it will keep you warm and safe. I will take care of mother. I promise" he said. A few tears slid down his face and landed on his father. He didn't notice or didn't want to notice and they were left there. Carrying his father to his grave he remembered all the times his father had carried him. His thoughts were cut short as he reached the hole. He lay his father in the grave and was about to shovel the dirt back in when he thought of something he could do. He found two weeds in the garden his father was trying to start and placed them on his covered chest.

"The weeds haven't won the battle yet. You'll conquer them one day." Then he shoveled the dirt back in, in complete silence. What he didn't notice was his mother standing at the door looking at him and crying. She turned around and left so he wouldn't notice her.

With his father buried Greil went into the barn to find a horse. He picked a dark brown horse that he had grown with the help of his father. The horse was named Shadow, for its skin. The horse was a strong horse and could easily make it to town and back within a day. He found a saddle on the make-shift hook and placed it on Shadow. He climbed on. He was about to kick the horse to start it when he realized he never rode to town alone. He felt some fear at the concept of going alone, but he knew he couldn't cause his mother any more discomfort. He brushed it off and rode away towards town.

The trip to town was uneventful. The sun kept rising in the sky causing Greil to sweat profusely. He nearly slid off of Shadow his hands were so slippery. The sun hadn't even reached its highest point in the sky and Greil was already nearing the town. Within twenty minutes he reached it. The town was no Melior, the capital of Crimea, but it wasn't too small either. There was a blacksmith, a school, a chapel, and a nursery. Greil knew he should visit the clerics in the nursery so they could fix up his wound but he decided to look around first. He had taken a few coins in case he got hungry but didn't expect to use all of them.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a stable and he marched the horse toward it. Before he even could say anything to old stable hand croaked

"Three coins to hold that pretty thing" The man pointed at the horse. Greil instantly distrusted him

"I am sorry sir, I thought this was a cheaper stable. I am afraid to say I can not afford this. Thank you.

"One coin then, can you afford that, pipsqueak?" offered the old man. Greil didn't know what to say. He wished his father was here so he could come with with an excuse. Greil was frozen in place. His mind was blank and his mouth was dry. He licked his lips but it offered no help.

"Well? Whaddya say? Will you let me look after that beautiful piece of work?"

"Father, leave him alone. He said he can not afford it so let him be" the voice of a youth said from behind the stable. A boy who looked a few years older than Greil walked out. He was tall almost a foot taller than Greil and he wasn't wearing a shirt. He had a muscular built but it looked like it just came from age not from working day in and day out. The boy walked over to his father and whispered something in his ear. The old man mumbled something back and left.

"So if you aren't willing to pay one coin to stable a horse, what are you doing in the village? Do you even know what village this is?" asked the boy

"Yeah I do. I have been here many times. This is my first time here alone though. The name's Greil. What's yours?" Greil answered.

"I'm Mitcell. As you can tell I live in this village. Where are you from?" asked Mitcell.

"I'm from the farm all the way past the hill. My father's name was Gawain but he was slain by bandits. I came here to try and sell the farm and move myself and my mother here." Greil answered telling the boy of his plight

"You're telling me that you are a Gawain? I am friends with that blacksmith and he will not stop talking about that axe your grandfather built. He saw it once as a little boy and that made him want to become a blacksmith. He would be very pleased to meet you. Let's go meet him and then I'll help you with selling your farm. And about your father, may I ask when he died?" Mitcell asked

"He was killed this morning by bandits. I slew the bandits and left my mother to recover from the shock. I just buried my father. I was injured in the battle and I need to find a cleric. My mother healed as much as she could but I need to see a real cleric. Please help me find one then I promise I will go visit this blacksmith." Greil begged

"My friend you should have said something earlier. Come I'll take you to a cleric. Don't worry about the blacksmith. You have to heal first. Come on let's go" Mitcell said.

"Thank you greatly Mitcell. But I made a promise that I will see the blacksmith and I intend to keep it." Greil told him. Mitcell started walking toward the nursery and Greil followed dragging Shadow along with them. As they walked Greil looked around at the village as if he was never there before. Even though he had not been alone for a long time he still felt scared for the time that he was. Now he had a friend who seemed to kind enough to help. He wasn't alone anymore. At least for now he thought His thoughts drifted to how his mother was holding up. He was scared for her. He was scared for the both of them. Taking care of a baby was not something that could be done without a father. The money from the farm wouldn't last forever, and Greil didn't know how or where he could get a job. He thought about selling Urvan but then he decided that it would be a dishonor to his grandfather's name.

Finally they came to the nursery. Mitcell offered to walk in with Greil and Greil accepted. Inside they saw a young woman praying to a statue of Ashera. The woman was attractive but she was a cleric and they were in a room of the goddess so Greil instantly banished those thoughts.

"Pardon me miss, but could you please heal my friend? He was hurt badly and needs assistance." Mitcell asked. She turned around and smiled at them. Greil couldn't help but grin sheepishly. He also noticed that Mitcell was without a shirt and felt a pang of jealously that he couldn't show off.

"May I see your wound?" she asked politely. Greil rolled up his sleeve and stuck out his arm. The place where the blade went through was still blue but there wasn't a hole there anymore. "It looks like someone already healed a little bit of it for you. I myself am an apprentice so my healing powers aren't fully… established yet. But I will see what I can do. How did you get such a wound anyway?" Mitcell elbowed him inconspicuously and waved him hand in a signal of no.

"I am sorry but I would rather not go into the circumstances of the injury. Please miss, may you just heal it?" Greil answered. She nodded and bent down with the staff hovering over his wound. This time the staff lit up faster and brighter. The relief came again and it lasted longer. The blue was disappearing and the pain was also gone. As before the light from the staff dimmed, except this time it dimmed faster. It went out and the girl fell back. She was panting slightly.

"I healed the internal wound and most of the external wound. Don't work it too hard for a week. A scar will be there but if you want it removed come by later when the cleric comes." She said.

"Thank you miss. You don't know how much you have helped. I will leave the scar. It's a symbol of..." He was broken off by Mitcell. They both thanked her and Greil gave her a coin as a thank you. She tried to deny it saying that this was training but Greil remained stubborn. Finally they walked out;

"Why did you stop me both times?" Greil asked Mitcell.

"You want to sell your farm right? It's best you don't go telling stories of bandits attacking there. People might get discouraged" Mitcell answered. Greil realized how good of a friend Mitcell was to him. Greil kept his promise of going to the blacksmith with Mitcell. At the blacksmith's the blacksmith went crazy over meeting Greil. He asked about Urvan and Greil's family. Greil decided to tell him. He couldn't think of a reason why. Mitcell didn't stop him. After the blacksmith Mitcell, as he promised, showed Greil around to some people who wanted to buy a farm. Not many people wanted a farm because they didn't want the work that came with it. But a family that according to Mitcell moved into the town did want a farm. They offered to come see it the next day and Greil accepted. Mitcell offered to take Greil home for supper, but Greil graciously declined saying he had to go tell his mother the news and stay with here in these hard times. He hadn't told Mitcell she was pregnant. He couldn't find it in him to trust him too much yet. So even though he had a friend he was still alone. All alone except for his mother. He hoped she would recover from his father's death. He hoped that he would never have to be truly alone.


	4. Chapter 4: Fear

_First off sorry for the long time, really really long time, without an update but here is one now. Thanks to all the people who read and reviewed and I updated the third chapter fixing the errors I caught. Finally the cleric girl may not be who some people thought she was. So read to find out and enjoy. Thanks again for giving this story a chance. And I will do my best to never take this long for an update._

Chapter 4: Mitcell

Greil left the village gate just as the sun set. His day was interesting to say the least. Today Greil had lost his father. He had also lost part of his mother. No matter how much he hoped he knew his mother would never be the same as she was while his father was around. Loneliness soon engulfed him as Shadow raced through the night towards Greil's home.

Without the sun beating down at him, the ride home was physically more comfortable, but mentally it was more stressful. Night had fallen and he was alone. He was in the middle of nowhere with barely any cover. Greil suddenly became scared. He didn't know why, or for who or what. He was just scared. He looked behind him. There was nothing, except the night. He looked at his sides and saw nothing again, except the night. His heart was racing and he was breathing in short gasps. His grip on the reins tightened to a point where his nails where digging into his palms and he was covered in cold sweat. His fear engulfed him and taunted him. He was begging Shadow to go faster, but nothing happened. He then realized that he hadn't said anything and was thinking all of this. In the distance he saw the light of his farm. He kicked Shadow causing him to race ahead away from his fears, towards the protection of his mother.

The farm drew ever so close and Greil gave Shadow one last giddy-up to shorten the final stretch. As the reached the farm Shadow slowed to a trot and trotted toward the horse pen. Inside the pen Greil calmed down. The smells of the animals reminded him that he was safe and that the night wouldn't get him. Greil dismounted Shadow and took off his saddle. He hung the saddle on its rack and led Shadow into its miniature pen. He found some corn and placed a basket of it for Shadow to eat. Greil's heart reached normal levels and his sweating stopped. He cursed himself for being so afraid, but knew he couldn't deny the fear because it was still lurking around in the depths of his heart waiting to leap out whenever it got a chance. Walking outside the barn he took a deep breath and saw his mother standing in the doorway. Suddenly he broke down.

Greil ran frantically toward his mother, tears streaming down his face. He reached her and embraced her crying into her. She returned the embrace and placed her head on his. She was crying too. The softness and warmth of his mother slowly calmed down Greil. Although he was becoming calm he didn't let her go. Greil's mother lifted her head and whispered

"Let's go inside. It's getting cold out here and our supper is getting cold in there" Greil looked up at her and smiled. He let her go and they walked in to eat supper. They ate in quiet, Greil lost in his thoughts trying to understand everything that happened that day. He had lost his father and nearly his mother. He lifted a sword, to kill, for the first time in his life and came out alive. He met a boy named Mitcell and became friends. He also met an attractive cleric whose name he didn't remember, or didn't know at all. Greil found all this too hard to process. He thanked his mother for supper and left for bed. He was exhausted.

In his room Greil looked at Urvan. He always fell asleep imagined him using the Urvan in battle. This fantasy was much closer to happening now, he knew this very well. And it frightened him. While he was a child he didn't know what it was like to kill to survive. He didn't know how to protect himself. He also didn't know that such cruelty existed in this world. Tears started welling up in his eyes, but he held them back. He looked at Urvan realizing that he needed to become much stronger to properly protect himself and, most important, his mother with his new sibling. Tonight he didn't dream of Urvan or fighting. He dreamt of a time when his mother and his father took him on a hike. They had a picnic and Greil felt safe. His gave him and his mother a big hug and held them there.

In the morning Greil explained to his mother that people were coming to look at the farm at noon and the mess from the bandits had to be cleaned up. She laughed and asked when they were coming.

"I think they said noon." Greil answered. His mother laughed again.

"They already came and are coming again in two days after they figured out a price. You slept through all that. I didn't want to wake you, so I let you sleep until you were ready to wake up. I did your father's work today, but I don't think I could do it again. Even not pregnant your father's work is hard. I wonder how you two did it every day. Doesn't matter now, I was planning to go to the village today. I fed all the animals and gave them enough food for the day. I locked them up so if you want to come with me you can." She said

"Why do you need to go to the village?" Greil asked

"Well for one we need to find a new place to live in and I wanted to stop by the nursery to talk about my pregnancy. A lot can happen in eleven years. And a lot can be forgotten." She answered

"Okay then." Greil said deciding not to press on. Anyway he wanted to see the girl again. He also wanted to see Mitcell and introduce his mother to him. "I'll go with you."

"Good then. Let's go saddle up and leave." She said. They walked toward the horse pen. Greil instantly looked at Shadow and watched in admiration as it pranced around its pen. Even after a ride like yesterday's he had the energy for this. Greil wondered if Shadow could go another day of running. He walked up to Shadow's pen and called Shadow to come to him. Shadow pranced toward the door and neighed happily. Greil grabbed a saddle and held it up to Shadow's back. Shadow neighed even louder. Greil took that as a yes. His mother was going to ride a chestnut brown horse that was about two years old. The horse neighed loudly, almost happily. His mother reached for a saddle and stopped. She didn't know which one to use. Greil had been taught how to choose one, by his father. He instantly knew which one his mother needed but he kept silent. He couldn't decide on whether to tell his mother what to choose or to let her figure it out. If asked Greil wouldn't be able to tell why he didn't help his mother. His only excuse would be that a little voice in the back of his mind told him to let her make a decision and he listened to it. Finally his mother chose a saddle. It was the same one Greil thought of. She placed it on her horse and led it out of its pen. At the outside of the pen she beckoned to Greil to follow her.

"Well, are you ready?" she asked

"I am. Let's go. Be ca…." Greil answered biting off his last words. Once again that little voice told him that his mother should say be careful not him. He shrugged and led Shadow to the outside of the pen. He saddled Shadow, while his mom was trying to get on her horse. After a few tries she did and wiped her forehead. She turned to Greil and smiled, but Greil could see that it was forced. His mother kicked the horse and Greil did the same. Twenty seconds later they were outside the barn and heading toward the village. Shadow was racing towards the village as fast as he had the day before, but his mother's horse was lagging behind. Greil pulled on Shadow's reins hoping to get him to slow down. Shadow whined, if a horse can whine, but slowed its pace. Greil stared at Shadow's dark skin remembering the fear he had felt the night before. Greil became depressed and realized that he couldn't be happy right now. His father had just died and all he could think about was seeing a girl. He didn't even know her name. Greil bitterly remembered his eagerness to leave just bare moments ago. He felt like crying but didn't want to startle his mother. He held in his tears and rode to town depressed and quiet.

The silence was finally broken when they reached the entrance of the village.

"I am going to go look around town for sellers. If you want you can come with me or you can go about your own business. If you go alone please meet me at the nursery in two hours' time." Greil's mother said

"Why at the nursery? Am I going to be in there with you?" Greil asked secretly hoping for an excuse to go to the nursery.

"You are going in the nursery, but what the cleric will tell me is for me to hear. I want you there because….." She couldn't finish. She just wanted him there with her. Just in case.

"I understand. I'll be there." Greil told her. He was eager to find Mitcell and spend the day in town.

"Good. Thank you. I'll see you in two hours' time." She said as she started to lead her horse towards the center of town. Greil nodded and rushed off to the stables hoping that Mitcell would be there. At the stables the old man, Mitcell's father, was there again. Greil found this saddening but no shocking. Shadow eyed the man with distrust, if that's possible for a horse. He neighed and pulled back a little. Greil held on tightly and gently patted Shadow. Shadow stopped pulling back. The old man noticed them and smiled. He had a crooked smile. His teeth were yellow and revolting. Some were ready to fall off. Greil could barely hide a grimace.

"So come back to the stable again, eh? Mitcell told me all about you and your dilemma. He's out back working. I'll stable your horse if you help him. Eh?" he asked

"I'll help him, but I can do it for free. And Shadow can help too. He needs exercise." Greil answered quickly. He disliked the idea of leaving Shadow there as much as Shadow did.

"Well you go me there. I can't say no to free labor. He's in back, like I said before. Hurry along now" said the old man. He was near tears. Greil couldn't tell if they were from sadness or happiness. Frankly it didn't matter as long as he could get out of the old man's company. Greil mumbled a thank you to the man and walked toward the back. When the man thought Greil was out of earshot he laughed hysterically. He shouted something inarticulately. Greil could not figure out why he was laughing. Greil reached the back of the stables and saw Mitcell feeding and washing horses. The horses thanked Mitcell with gifts that Mitcell had to clean up as well. Apparently, Greil thought, the stables in the front are for show. Maybe he doesn't want people to see him at work. Mitcell was once again without a shirt and was sweating profusely. Greil opened his mouth to say something when Shadow groaned.

Mitcell turned around shocked. When he saw it is Greil a smile grew on his face. Greil's face turned a light shade of red. He wasn't used to getting such greetings and he felt embarrassed that Shadow was the one who warned Mitcell of Greil's arrival.

"What are you doing here?"

"Your father told me you were in back. He said he would stable Shadow if I helped you. I passed on stabling Shadow. So what needs to be done?"

"Well, thank you and clean the horses. The clean water is in that basin over there" Mitcell pointed to the end of the line of stables. "There are rags on the hook over the basin. I guess you know the rest. Thanks again"

"Anytime, anything for a…. - He paused for a split second searching for the right word. Suddenly it came to him. "A friend". Mitcell's smile grew wider nearly touching his ears. Greil walked over to the basin, found a rag and started working. He didn't expect to come here and work but he didn't mind. Anytime and anything for a friend, for a real, live true friend.


	5. Chapter 5: Friendship

_If anyone is still reading this, sorry it took so long. Only excuse is that I had other work to do. Pretty lame huh? Anyway this is a damn long chapter so bear with it. Constructive criticism is always nice. Enjoy!_

Ch. 5 Friendship

By the time a half hour went by, the rancid smell no longer bothered Greil. The time went by quickly and quietly. There was a lot of work to do, and the work had to be done well. Both Greil and Mitcell were drenched in sweat. Greil was panting a little and his stomach rumbled. He realized that the last time he had eaten was supper the night before. The hunger came out of nowhere, and his stomach hurt. It hurt a lot. He felt nauseous from hunger. He placed his hand on Shadow, who was dutifully following him around, and steadied himself. He controlled his need to throw up and looked around. Their work seemed to be over. He sighed, relieved. Mitcell heard this.

"Don't quit on me yet. There's still dung on that side to clean up. I'm gonna do this side. Do the other." Mitcell was commanding Greil but he didn't act obnoxious as he did it and Greil never minded being told what to do. He did though groan because he knew that cleaning up dung would not help with his need to throw up. He wanted take his shirt off to wrap around his nose, but he decided against it. Mitcell might laugh at him.

"Where do I put the dung in and what do I pick it up with?"

"Didn't you say you live on a farm? I would think you know how to do this. Anyway there is a bucket right here." He pointed to a bucket at his heel "Take the broom hanging near the rags, and a rag if you want, and sweep it into the bucket."

"My father always cleaned up after them. He didn't want me to touch it. I don't know why."

"Right, maybe he was scared that…" He wanted to finish with; you would eat it, but stopped, not wanting to insult Greil.

"Scared that what, I would eat it or something?"

"Ha-ha, no of course not, Ha-ha, why would you even think that? Just clean it up. Don't worry about what I said. I'll even convince dad to feed ya. I can hear your stomach from over here." Greil immediately turned away cheeks and ears burning with embarrassment. He did as Mitcell said and cleaned up the dung. Twice he almost threw up but he held himself. Or maybe there was just nothing to throw up. Greil pushed these thoughts away. Mitcell finished before him and put everything away. When Greil was done hung the broom on the rack. Mitcell started to walk out and Greil nearly sprinted after him. If he wasn't holding Shadow he would have. The damn horse was too heavy for Greil to pull. For now, he hoped. With his first impulse quelled, Greil followed Mitcell out of the stable. Even the mosquitoes didn't dare come near the smell of the horses. Neither Greil nor Mitcell had a single bite on them. For once Greil was thankful. As they walked farther from the stable the air became fresher. The fresh air did wonders to Greil's mood, and his overall state of being. He felt energy coming back to him and he felt prideful of his hard work. Mitcell took a deep breath and smacked his lips.

"Ahh fresh air, it's always nice." They continued walking now near the front "stables". They reached the front and Mitcell's father was in the same position he was when Greil saw him last. He was slumped on a wooden stool that looked like it lived through more than the old man himself. Its legs were nearly bent from the old man's scrawny weight. The old man's head was slumped with his chin on his chest. His straw hat covered his face. It was supposed to hide that he was sleeping. It didn't work too well. A dribble of drool was on his shirt but it was hardly noticeable. Mitcell didn't look the slightest bit distraught. He had seen this before, many times over. Mitcell muttered something under his breath. Greil didn't hear all of it but he did hear Mitcell mutter, stupid tub of… The last word was muttered ever quieter but Greil could assume what it was.

"Father, Wake up. The stable is clean. It is time for lunch, take a break, and don't sit in the sun too long. Greil will join us for lunch. Is that alright?" Mitcell asked

"Wha? Done so fast? How? Never mind. Are you sure you want him for lunch? Means less food for us, but I guess seeing as he helped you out you can share part of your meal with him. Half the duty, half the meal, right son?" He then guffawed hysterically.

"Yes father" Mitcell answered with fake sincerity. Greil sensed hate in his tone. His father was still laughing, albeit not as hysterically.

"Don't-worry, we'll-all share-the-food." The old man was still laughing while he said this. He started rocking back and forth. The chair made noises no chair should make, but it still held. Although the chair looked rudimentary it was sturdy and Greil admired the craftsmanship. The old man nearly lost his balance, but at the last second he stood up, and stretched out. He yawned and a belch escaped. Or was let out, Greil didn't know which. The old man started walking away from his chair, when suddenly he stopped. He turned around wagging his finger, smiling a crooked smile. He walked over to his chair leaned over it and picked up a sign even more rudimentary than the chair. It read "Biz-E Kum bak ladr" Greil nearly burst out laughing, but he managed to control himself. Mitcell shook his head in disgust, but his father was beaming with joy.

Mitcell's father turned away from his chair and his lovely sign still beaming. He walked back the way he started when he forgot the sign. This time he didn't stop. He only picked up his hand and wagged his index and middle finger. Follow, the motion. Greil and Mitcell obediently followed. The house was, obviously, right next to the stable. The house was nothing to be proud of, but it also didn't deserve to be looked down upon. It was a plain house that a person struggling to survive would own. There were a few windows indicating that Mitcell did not share a room with his father. There was also a kitchen in the house. Greil assumed there was an outhouse behind the house but wasn't sure. Damn cats ate anything they could find. Greil shuddered at the thought.

There was a little path leading from the start of the property to the front door. There were weeds growing all over it, and whatever ground was showing was cracked. The garden, if it could be called one, was completely wilted. There were traces of carrot and tomato plants, but nothing living. The old man led the way and Mitcell followed. Greil lost in thought didn't notice until the old man was at the door and Mitcell was waving at him to follow. Greil made a jerking motion and lurched forward. He jogged up to Mitcell, who was standing waiting for him. Mitcell led him into the house. Inside the house looked nicer, if only a bit. There actually were stairs, they weren't pretty but they did their job and looked sturdy. Mitcell motioned to Greil to follow, before Greil could inspect the house more. Greil walked after Mitcell into the kitchen. The kitchen smelled heavily of gas, and Greil nearly threw up again because of it. In fact he felt the acid in his throat but managed to hold it back. The old man was not in kitchen; Greil tried to hide his surprise but didn't know if he did a good job.

The old man walks in carrying a chunk of what looked like preserved pork. Greil could smell it before he saw the man, and grimaced. Mitcell opened a cabinet that looked more than ready to fall off its hinges and pulled out three glass plates. They were nice plates. They had been painted completely white, but were still very nice plates. Mitcell set them down on a wooden table, which by the way doesn't even deserve to be compared to the plates, and reached into the cabinet again. He took out three iron forks and three iron knives. The knives were sharp and the forks were not bent. Some people had their priorities mixed up, Greil thought to himself. Under the table Greil noticed a basin full of water. Once again reaching into the cabinet Mitcell pulled out three glasses, which were also made of glass. Mitcell set the glasses on the table and closed the cabinet.

Mitcell bent down, under the table, and motioned for Greil to pass him a glass. Greil did and Mitcell filled it with water. They did this twice more. While the boys were getting the water, the old man was cutting the pork and he looked like he was having a hard time. Mitcell didn't offer to help him and Greil didn't inquire why. Finally the old man cut the pork and walked over to the table. He reached for the plates and picked them up. He then turned around and walked back toward his cut-up preserved pork. Greil grimaced again. The old man placed the pork onto the plates equally dividing it. The old man then placed the plates in their respective places near the cups of water. Mitcell was standing his hands behind him just at the end of his back. With the food set Greil wondered why Mitcell was still standing. Then he saw Mitcell start to sit down. Greil turned to look at Mitcell's father and saw that he was sitting, and realized the respect Mitcell held for his father. No matter what Mitcell acted like toward him. The old man spoke:

"So, my name is Byron. What was yours again?" At first Greil thought that he was looking at Mitcell, then realized that the old man was looking at him.

"I'm Gr…" He stopped and remembered that the last name was the only thing necessary when talking to elders. "I…am...Gawain. The old man stared at him with an annoyed expression. He twirled his finger with a sigh. The sigh was filled with contempt. "Umm, Greil, Greil Gawain" Greil added hastily. The old man's annoyance seemed to abate a little. Greil was relieved, but hoped he didn't show it.

"A family name is a powerful thing to know whether you realize it or not. You may have just endangered your family by giving me your family name. It's the family name that goes around town not the person's name. Be careful where and to who you give it to." A long pause came. Greil was about to start eating when the old man said. "Rosabal"

"What?" Greil asked, but the old man was silent. Greil realized that the old man had told him his family name. Greil nearly grinned when he figured out that the old man trusted, even more he respected him. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. Even though the pork looked horribly it wasn't half bad and Greil managed to put it down without much pain. At the conclusion of the meal he thanked the old man graciously. Suddenly he remembered that Shadow hadn't eaten anything since him and his mother left home, maybe even before that. For a weird reason he felt a little scared that Shadow might be mad at him. Then an overwhelming fear that Shadow might have left, for Greil forget to tie him. Greil asked to be excused quickly, and darted toward the door. It was open. Just before he reached it, he stopped. Anxiety had taken over him, and he found that he couldn't force himself to look. Greil took a deep breath and walked outside.

The air outside was fresher than it was in the house, but not by much. The sun was nearing its highest point and Greil felt hot. He pulled at the neck of his shirt, hoping to feel some relief. Greil darted his eyes from one side to the other looking for Shadow. His anxiety left him. Shadow was standing under a dying tree, shading him as much as he could. Shadow's head perked up when he heard footsteps. He saw Greil.

Greil was looking at Shadow, and could swear that an un-horse like look came over Shadow. Shadow appeared to be saying; nice job leaving me out here. You're lucky I'm still here Greil nearly laughed and beckoned toward Shadow. To Greil's surprise, his action was just out of habit, Shadow walked toward Greil. He stopped where the front porch started. Greil rubbed Shadow's mane. I'm sorry, the gesture said. Shadow neighed and Greil held up a finger. One second. Greil trotted into the house.

In the kitchen, Mitcell and his father started cleaning up.

"That boy, Greil he said he was. He trusts you. Good, good. He's likes you too. That's just as good. Friends are important to have. Pray to Ashera that he keeps on liking and trusting you. He's a good kid, although he needs some help. And tell him about the sign. I saw the look on his face, contempt. Mild, but it was there. Be proud of your work. Believe me he wasn't any better when he first wrote. Go talk to your friend. I'll finish up here."

"Greil can wait, I'll help you. It will only ta-" Mitcell started.

"No! Go. Don't keep your friend waiting. You did all the work you had to today. Now go on. Get!" Mitcell rushed out, not even trying to hide his expression of glee. Luckily for the two friends, they were both running in the same hallway, at the same time. They crashed into each other. Since neither was running too fast no real damage was done, but they still both fell on their rears. Greil sprang up, and held a hand out to help Mitcell. Mitcell accepted the hand and was pulled up. Both boys had a grin stretching from one ear to the other.

"Is there any horse feed? Shadow is hungry" Greil asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, hold on. I'll go get some." Mitcell answered running off. He came back two minutes later with a bucket full of food.

"Thanks! Poor horse is hungry" Greil said laughing

"Hah! How can you tell?" Mitcell asked, also laughing

"I can tell. I have a connection with my horse." Greil answered in all seriousness, but he was still laughing.

"You-hah-can't seriously-hahah-believe that-hahaha hic-"Mitcell was roaring with laughter.

"HEY! Calm down. You might spill the horse feed. Shadow won't be please and neither will I. Now Greil tell your horse you're coming and go feed the poor thing." Mitchell's father shouted this from the kitchen door. He yelled in good humor, and obviously didn't believe Greil. The two boys had stopped laughing when he shouted. When he was done they broke into sniggers and walked out. Mitcell's father shook his head and muttered something. He had a smile on his face too.

Greil and Mitcell rushed toward Shadow and slammed the bucket onto the ground next to him. Some horse feed flew out in the process. Shadow just looked at them with inquisitive eyes. He looked at the feed. Shadow nibbled at the few grains on the ground and ate no more. He looked up at the sun, and then looked toward the direction his mother had left. He neighed. Then he repeated this process twice more. Finally Greil understood. It was time to go meet his mother. He started to formulate an excuse, and then decided to go with the truth.

"Hey, why isn't Shadow eating? I thought you said he was hungry, some connection, eh?" Mitcell asked.

"He didn't want to eat. He wanted to remind that I had to… I had to meet my mother at the nursery, because…because she is pregnant and wants to discuss this with the clerics. I don't know any more details. This pregnancy makes things much more complicated too, eh?"

"Wow that's a lot to swallow, can't imagine doing it all in one day, especially after… well you know... yesterday." Mitcell said uneasily

"Yeah it is. But it's okay if you mention my father's death. I won't break down. Anyway I promised to go meet her at the nursery."

"I'll go with you. Don't tell me no because I'll just follow. You're my friend. And a damn good one too, I'll help you whenever and wherever I can." This time Greil nearly broke down. He whimpered a little "Lemme just tell my father that I'm off. Be right back, don't mo-" From behind them a familiar voice said:

"Go. Hurry, so you're not late and invite Greil and his mother for dinner. I'll make something nice. Greil, if you want to keep the pregnancy a secret, my mouth is shut. Now be gone, or you will make your mother wait."

"Thank you, father." Mitcell said

"Be off, I said! Don't make me regret this!" Mitcell's father said in good humor. Mitcell motioned for Greil to start moving. Greil started to pull Shadow's reigns but Shadow walked forward without being told. He walked out the gate and stopped. He turned around and neighed, appearing to be annoyed. Greil and Mitcell sprinted over to Shadow, and Mitcell led the way to the nursery.

Three figures were coming from the end of the road. They moved quickly but the road was fairly long. The woman dismounting her horse noticed them by an accidentally titling of her head. As they drew closer she could distinguish two men and a horse. The horse was very dark, but she could get no more. The figures drew even closer and the woman recognized the one on the far right. It was Greil, her son. He had not forgotten his mother. On the far left was a boy, who looked older than Greil but still wasn't considered a man. Realization struck Greil's mother. She understood now why Greil wanted to go to town today, and why he had moved so confidently toward the horse stable. Greil had made a friend, one that stuck by him. She smiled. A happiness only known to parents filled her, and nothing seemed wrong in the world, for her child was happy and safe. For the time being.


End file.
